Dental Care

Your pets need dental care just like you do. Teeth are the most commonly missed health issue in dogs and cats. As pets age, tartar and plaque will build up on the dental surfaces. This can lead to painful bacterial infections in the mouth and other organs such as the heart or kidneys. Therefore, the team at Clay-Chalkville Animal Clinic takes dental health very seriously.

We always examine your pet’s teeth at their annual visit for vaccinations. At that time we will discuss what we recommend for your pets dental care. However, there are warning signs that you may recognize in between annual visits that tell you your pet may need dental care. Examples of these warning signs of dental disease include:

Bad breath

Difficulty chewing food

Pawing at mouth

Excessive drooling

Red, swollen, bleeding gums

Blood in saliva or drinking water

Swelling around mouth or under eyes

Tartar or plaque buildup on teeth

If you notice any of these warning signs, please schedule a dental exam with us.

If dental disease is present we may advise a dental cleaning. This is a procedure is very similar to what you go through every six months at the dentist. In our pets, however, it requires general anesthesia. While under anesthesia we will scrape the dental tartar and plaque off of the teeth and under the gum line. This is followed by a polishing to smooth out the dental surfaces to help slow down future buildup. One of our veterinarians will then assess the health of all your pet’s teeth. If any teeth need to be extracted, a veterinarian will call you to discuss the reason for extraction and to receive permission. Teeth will never be extracted unless necessary for the health of an animal. Often times your pet will be placed on antibiotics to eliminate any infections caused by the oral bacterial flora. See the images below for an example of teeth before and after a cleaning.

Please call for more information or to schedule a dental exam/dental cleaning

Request An Appointment

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Walk-ins are welcomed, but will have to wait until appointments scheduled at that time are seen.